On the Wings of Freedom
by Shadows of Vanity
Summary: When Shirou Emiya recieves a letter on vacation in France, asking him to come to Tokyo for an interview with MBI, he didn't expect to be accused of murder. He didn't expect to get involved in another war masterminded by another psychopath with delusions of grandeur. And he sure as hell didn't plan on getting a large harem of aliens! powerful!Shirou, Shirou/large harem.
1. Shintou Teito

MY version of what a Sekirei-Fate/stay Night crossover should be like. A few things to point out before we start.

Musubi was never kidnapped, so her _tama_ was never damaged, thus

Yume and Musubi are both still alive

Miya and Takehito were never married, but were close friends. As such, Miya still leads the Squad, while Takehito…I haven't decided how he died yet, but he is dead.

I am changing Karasuba a bit, but that will be mostly covered in this chapter, so her OOCness will be explained for its screen time in consecutive chapters

Sakura is still alive

Altria (Saber) is still with Rin

Medusa (Rider) is still with Sakura

Story will feature veteran!Shirou, who will act much like normal!Shirou but will, in tense situations with strangers, have a very strong spinal column

Story will feature Shirou/large harem. This does not, however, mean that this will be endless smut. There will be smut (likely on another website, though. Screw you, Fanfiction dot net!) but there will be more fighting, angst, dramatic moments, and touching scenes of a romantic and heartwarming nature.

PLEASE REMEMBER! My hard drive wiped and I lost all my documents, then failed to recover them all. The original first chapter to this story was lost, and I was unable to recreate it to its former glory. This was the best I could do for its recreation. Later chapters will be much better.

MANY THANKS TO MY BETA, TENCHISOULUTIONSFORALL!

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On the Wings of Freedom

Chapter One

Shintou Teito

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_ "DAMNIT!" a young man with short red haired slumped to his knees and slammed a fist into the ground in anger as tears leaked from golden eyes. Around him lay the broken ruins and shattered walls of what had once been a beautiful temple. It had been destroyed in his battle against the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. "I want the people I love to stay with me forever! I want the people who want to be freed from the grasp of the Throne of Heroes to be free, to be with me forever! That's all I could ever wish for!"_

_**"Very well, Shirou Emiya, master of none yet leader of many. For defeating the King of Heroes in single combat, this boon will be granted to you. Shall you accept?" **__A voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere echoed around him, and Shirou started in shock. Tears forgotten, he sat up and looked around. __** "Do you accept, Shirou Emiya?"**_

_Shirou's mind raced. The Grail's taint should have been purged, washed away by Excalibur's light. Was the potential of having Rider, Saber, Rin, and Sakura stay with him worth risk of being absorbed or killed if the Grail was still corrupted? The answer to that was clearer than any decision Shirou had ever been faced with before._

_ "Yes, I accept. Grant me this wish." He said finally, and he swore he heard the Grail laugh before it spoke once more._

_**"Very well, Shirou Emiya. As you have desired, so shall it be. A bonus shall be provided, one that will bring you much happiness" **__the voice said. Shirou was blinded by a flash of bright white light in front of him, and he heard a small thud. When the spots faded from his eyes, Shirou found himself gazing upon the unconscious form of a gorgeous young woman with hair of the deepest black and dressed in simple, dark blue leggings and a loose white shirt that looked like something from Shakespeare. Being who he was, Shirou moved closer to the young woman and pulled her upright, cradling her back with one arm while the other brushed loose hair out of her face. Staring at her, Shirou found himself inexplicably drawn to her, as if having her in his arms was the most natural thing in the world . Briefly wondering if she was the "bonus" the Grail had mentioned, he shrugged mentally and went back to looking at her. She looked strong, much like Saber or Rider, but was still rather feminine. He remained like that, for how long he didn't know, but was eventually jerked from his thoughts and his examination by a trio of voices crying out his name. Turning his head, he saw all four of his lovers racing towards him. He was quickly swarmed as each of them tried to confirm his well-being before bombarding him with questions. Questions about Gilgamesh, the Grail, the new girl, more questions about Gilgamesh, and several twitching eyebrows at the closeness with which he held the new girl…_

_ "Enough!" he growled finally, shaking his head in exasperation. "Let's go home. I will answer all of your questions to the best of my ability then."_

_ "Okay lover, but let myself and Altria carry the girl. We Servants can keep up even with the weight," Rider said in her calm but somehow forever pert fashion. What she didn't say was that, should the girl turn out to be an enemy and try anything, she and Altria would gut the bitch before she got close to Shirou, Sakura, or Rin._

_The family of five, with one extra in tow, headed off into the night as they made their way ever so carefully towards the Emiya house, being careful to avoid coming across people and (especially!) any police officers that might be out and about. Trying to come up with a believable falsehood as to why one male and four females wearing clothes in various states of damage with varying amounts of bloodstains were wandering down the street carrying the unconscious body of another girl would be, at best, complicated and awkward. At worst it would involve handcuffs, and that was something they all would prefer to avoid._

_Imagine that._

_Regardless, they soon made it home and the girls whisked the newcomer off into one of the large bathrooms to clean her up and get her dressed in pajamas. While they were doing that, Shirou took the time to meditate in his family's dojo and prepare himself for the explanation he would soon be called upon to give. Nearly an hour later, Rider finally came to tell him that they were finished. Well, perhaps "tell" was the wrong term to use, as it implied simply using words to tell him. No, the ever bold and sassy Greek woman had plopped down in his lap and kissed him long and hard enough that, by the time she pulled away with a _very_ satisfied smirk, he swore he had white spots in his vision due to lack of air. She had then proceeded to inform him in a husky, sultry tone that she knew would get him aroused, that she and her three "sisters" were ready for him, and that the others were waiting in the largest bedroom._

_Naturally, his mind not only went to the gutter, but took a running leap off of the edge and dove in head first like it was the Olympic Finals. He thanked her for the information, managing to leave _her _breathless and panting with a kiss (for once, instead of the other way around) and then carried her from the dojo. Rider had wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled up against his chest blissfully, resting her face in the crook of his neck._

_When Shirou entered the bedroom, he found himself looking at the new girl, who was still asleep and lying on a spare futon and covered in a blanket. Altria, Rin, and Sakura were around her, the two Magi facing each other across the girl's legs while Altria was at the foot of the futon, no doubt to protect the pair. Kissing him one more time, Rider slid from his arms and sauntered over to sit beside Sakura, with far more sway to her hips than was necessary for such a short distance._

_After settling for kissing each of his lovers warmly, Shirou sat down beside Rin, who immediately rested her head on his shoulder. Shirou savored the contact for the moment, aware that his tsundere lover was just relieved that he had survived his battle, something they had all hoped for, but had been unsure of its likelihood of occurring. Finally, Shirou began to explain everything. The battle with Gilgamesh, unlocking his true Magus power and fully utilizing his Reality Marble, the Unlimited Blade Works. Everything. After some time, he reached the part about the Grail, his wish, and the girl._

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_"…there was this flash of light, a thud, and when my eyes got back to normal, there she was in front of me. I felt drawn to her, somehow, so I cradled her back against my arm and, well, that's more or less when you girls arrived," Shirou said after nearly an hour and a half of oft-interrupted explanations._

_ "It seems to me, then, that she is whoever wished to be freed from the Grail the most," Rin mused, causing her lovers to look at her in surprise and curiosity. Blushing slightly, she explained. "Altria and Medusa were all ready qualified to stay, since the first part of your wish was for "everyone you love to stay with you forever". This girl, who ever she is, must be the runner-up, for want of a better term."_

_ "Well reasoned, Rin. I have to agree, but that still leaves the question of just who she is. There are not a great many ancient female heroes. Ariadne, perhaps?" Altria mused, but Medusa shook her head with a laugh._

_ "Certainly not! No, she was never really famous enough to join the Throne. She wasn't even a hero, really. She just got abandoned by that bastard Theseus after she saved his sorry ass." She waved one hand dismissively. "Besides, she doesn't look Greek, she looks European. Boadicea, maybe? That Cetic warrior queen?"_

_ "No, I think not. She does not appear to be a Gael," Altria said immediately, shaking her head. The others accepted her words without argument. She was, after all, former King of the Britons, and would know far more about the ancient Gaels (Also known as Celts. The natives of the British Isles, usually referring to Scotland and Ireland) than just about anyone else alive._

_ "Well, what about…" Shirou started to suggest another name when a soft moan from the subject of their discussion attracted the attention of the room at large. The girl was shifting slightly, her eyelids fluttering slightly until they opened slowly to reveal ice-blue eyes. Blinking a couple of times, she slowly looked around at the group and sat up slowly, one hand holding her head._

_ "Hey, easy now. Not too fast, or you'll get dizzy," Shirou warned, putting his arm behind her so that she had some support._

_ "My head feels as if it were an anvil that has had a smith working upon it for a month straight," the girl said softly, rubbing her temples. She had a light accent that no one could identify. Her voice was soft and gentle, but held a great deal of inner strength beneath its alto purr._

_ "Apt, considering we think you got forcefully removed from the Throne of Heroes," Shirou said quietly, and she turned to look up at him._

_ "So, you are the one the Grail spoke of? The one that wished for my freedom? My master?" she asked, her voice still soft, and Shirou nodded slowly. The girl smiled weakly up at him and leaned against his shoulder. "I thank you for freeing me, Master. I used to be a Saber or a Rider. My name…is Joan of Arc."_

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Shirou smiled to himself slightly as the plane touched down in the Tokyo airport. He and Joan had just returned from visiting France, so that his new lover could see how it had changed. While there, he had received a letter from a company called MBI, asking him to come to their corporate HQ for an interview. After calling Rin, Sakura, Altria, and Rider, who had had to remain in Fuyuki while the two Magi looked for someone to help them watch over the city, he had called the company and received a time and date for the meeting. Not wanting to get on the bad side of a multinational, multibillion dollar company, Shirou promptly booked the next flight to Tokyo.

"Joan? Wake up love, we're here," he said softly, shaking the sleeping girl that was nestled as close to his side as the seats allowed. While he and Joan had not yet been intimate, she had told him that she loved him, and he and his lovers had accepted her into their family. Shirou smirked slightly as the girl mumbled in her sleep and snuggled closer to him, hugging his arm to her chest and rubbing the side of her face on his arm slightly. Leaning down, he kissed her softly, causing her to moan slightly before kissing him back as her eyes fluttered open. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply for another long moment before pulling away with a blissful smile.

"I could get used to being awoken like that," she sighed happily, and Shirou cupped her face with one palm. She leaned into it with a smile as he stroked her cheek with a thumb.

"As you wish," he replied simply while staring into her eyes, before remembering why he had woken her. "We've arrived, so we have to disembark now."

"Okay Master-erm, Shirou,"she said, hastily correcting herself. She preferred to call him Master in private, and it still slipped out occasionally in public, but she was working hard on calling him Shirou when others who wouldn't understand their relationship could overhear. She got to her feet, long raven hair swirling about her, and headed for the hatch, Shirou ambling after her. Joan took a moment at the terminal to look around, before shaking her head in awe. So much had changed since she had died, and she had missed all of it. Having never been summoned before in a Holy Grail war, she had no idea what had occurred over the centuries until her lovers explained it to her.

She had been blissfully happy when she had found out that France was free of England at long last, although a somewhat disparaging remark about the latter nation led to the discovery that her lover Altria was in fact King Arthur. Upon discovering that one of her greatest role-models was, in fact, another woman, Joan had been put into a short period of hero-worship that Altria had quickly broken her out of. Joan had wept for hours when her family had explained the events of the French Revolution, although once she composed herself somewhat she explained that she did not weep for the fall of the monarchy she had fought and died for, but rather wept for the fact that the French royal family had fallen so far into corrupt decadence that their people had felt the need to resort to such measures just to survive.

She had also passed out with an enormous blush and the goofiest grin any of her lovers had ever seen when she had been told that, after death, she had not only been cleared of all charges, but appointed as a saint by the Catholic Church. After all, it wasn't every day that you found out that you were a saint!

"Hey, I think that's our ride, Joan," her Master's voice cut into her thoughts. She looked in the direction he indicated, where she saw a trio of people waiting in front of a black limousine. One, a tall man in a black suit and wearing sunglasses was holding up a sign that read "Emiya." His two companions (a pair of attractive young women dressed in black with olive green shoulder cloaks), however, instantly drew Joan's eyes. It was subtle, so subtle even she thought she was imagining it for a moment, but they both held themselves with the practiced casual grace of an excellent and practiced fighter.

"Master, those two women are trained fighters, and good ones too. There is more at play here than a simple interview," she hissed quietly, and Shirou's gait faltered for a moment before resuming, albeit slower than before.

"Dead Apostles, Servants, or Magi?" he asked just as quietly, and Joan stretched out with her senses. The pair had powerful, though carefully concealed and controlled, auras, but…

"None of the above, Master. I don't know what they are, but somehow I doubt they are merely humans," she responded, and he made a noise of curious acknowledgment.

"Interesting. Are they strong enough to be a risk if things get unpleasant?" he asked, watching the pair as he and Joan drew ever closer to them.

"No, Master, but if there are more like them at this MBI Headquarters, we may have to rely on _those_ to achieve victory."

"Then we don't need to worry about it. Everything will work out, you'll see."

"Yes, Master."

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"Are you hearing what I am hearing, Miya-onee-chan?" one of the two woman, a buxom brunette with hazel eyes, said to the other.

"Yes, I am, Yume-chan. What makes it all the more interesting is that they are aware of how strong we are, but seem unconcerned," Miya, Sekirei #00/01 replied softly, eyeing the approaching pair. She noticed the change in the way they held themselves, and was actually impressed. These two were skilled and had seen true battle.

"Makes you wonder what these "Dead Apostles", "Servants", and "Magi" are, doesn't it onee-chan?" Yume, Sekirei #08, mused softly, her eyes locked on the young man. He was strong, she could tell that just by looking at him, and she felt herself growing warm at the sight of him. She smiled a little at the feeling.

"I agree, but I also wonder what they referred to when they said _'those'_," Miya agreed, not noticing her companion's blush or the reason for it. She too was eyeing the male, and feeling slightly warm, although she immediately dismissed the feeling and blamed the rather oppressive heat of the glaring sun that blazed overhead. She also told herself that she was watching him with such interest as he was a potential threat to MBI and the S-plan. Which was actually half true. "Still, do you think Director Takami is right about them?"

"Not a chance, onee-chan, not a chance. He doesn't feel like that kind of person," Yume said immediately and with a little heat, surprising even herself with her vehemence. It did not deter her from continuing, however. "His aura holds no malice, no ill intent, no deception. It holds love and concern for his companion, as well as absolute trust towards her. He is also wary of us, but only because he recognizes us as dangerous."

"And the woman?" Miya asked, knowing that her younger "sibling" was far more attuned to emotional auras and the like than herself.

"She is on a hair trigger, onee-chan. If either of us even twitch in such a way she could consider a threat to the man, she will react with extreme, maybe even excessive, force. The amount of devotion, trust, and love she has for him is almost blinding. It encompasses her entire being. Only slightly weaker than her love is her protectiveness of him. She would die before allowing him to be harmed, I can tell you that right now, and she would pull out all the stops to make sure whatever was endangering him went with her. Her mistrust of us is there as well, but her trust in his judgment has negated the majority of it. He said not to worry too much about it, so she isn't," Yume explained readily, her own energy-based power washing over the pair's auras.

"Why does she call him "Master", though? A strange term of endearment to use in public," Miya mumbled, almost to herself, as the pair finally arrived before them.

"My name is Shirou Emiya, and this is my girlfriend, Joan Arc. I take it that you work for MBI?" the young man asked, his tone light and friendly. Miya was secretly once more impressed. He appeared to have remarkable self-control. If it wasn't for the conversation that she had just overheard between the pair, and what Yume had said about their auras, she would have never known that he felt uncomfortable or concerned to any degree.

"We do. My name is Omura. These are Miya and Yume," the male lackey from MBI replied, shaking Emiya's hand firmly and keeping up the façade that the two women were there to accompany him instead of the other way around. "Please, let us be off."

Omura quickly loaded the pair's luggage into the limo's trunk, while the three young women and Emiya quickly entered the passenger area and settled themselves. Omura closed the hatch and got into the driver's side seat, and they were off a moment later. The ride was made in silence for several minutes before the ringing of a cell-phone could be heard. Emiya reached into his pocket and drew one out, glancing at the caller ID before flipping it open.

"Hello there, Sakura-chan," he said easily, a small but genuine smile gracing his features. Joan leaned her head on his shoulder, both to make hearing her lovers' voices easier and also to ensure that these two women in front of them knew that Shirou was not available. Both of them seemed to let their eyes spend a great deal of time on him, something Joan was none too pleased about. Sharing with her current family had been hard enough at first, especially since her Master hadn't yet taken her virginity, something that displeased and, though she would never admit it, discouraged her to no end.

600 years was a long time to wait, after all.

_"Hey," a_ young woman's voice was clearly audible to everyone but Omura, although Emiya and his girlfriend Joan seemed unaware of that fact. _"Landed safely yet?"_

"Yes, of course. You know me, never taking any risks," Emiya replied dryly, causing both Joan and the girl on the other end-Sakura- to snort in disbelief and amusement.

_"Whatever you say, Shirou-kun. Anyway, did MBI pick you up yet?"_

"Yes, we're on our way to their building now. Why?"

_ "Be careful, Shirou-kun. Fuji-nee heard back from some of her…'friends', and scuttlebutt in the Tokyo underworld is that MBI is after you, but in a far more unpleasant way than we had hoped."_

"How unpleasant?"

_ "Dead Apostle horde unpleasant."_

"Oh my, that is rather unpleasant. Anything else?"

_ "Yes. Beware the group that wear olive green cloak. Alone, or in twos, they wouldn't pose a threat to you or Joan, but in larger groups they could be very difficult opponents."_

"I understand. We will see you as soon as the situation here is resolved, Sakura-chan. Tell Altria and Rider that their help will not be necessary, and tell Rin-chan to stop fretting. Oh, and please send a note to the von Einzbern castle via the normal method. Tell Ilya that her onii-chan misses her and that she ought to come visit."

_"Okay, Shirou-kun. Stay safe, and remember, we all love you. You have a family to come back to, so don't you dare die! Besides, what would llya-chan do if anything happened to you?"_

"I would rather not think about such a terrifying event. I'll talk to you soon, Sakura-chan," Emiya flipped the phone shut and slid it into his pocket, his freed hand coming up to stroke Joan's hair. "I know you heard that entire conversation. You might as well drop the pleasant act."

Both Sekirei blinked at his candor, and Yume gave him a wry half-smile.

"It's not an act, Shirou-sama. Director Takami said that, as long as you answered her questions honestly, you wouldn't be harmed in any way," the brunette said, hoping to reassure the pair. Joan looked ready to either protect Shirou or rip the two Sekirei limb from limb.

"I don't believe you, but there isn't much point in arguing about it now. I will meet with this "Takami" person, and then Joan and I will leave. One way or another," Shirou replied calmly, continuing to stroke Joan's hair in a soothing gesture. The girl settled back into his side, but her eyes never left Miya and Yume.

Yume was actually feeling a little hurt that her Shirou-sama didn't trust her word. After all, Takami-sensei had promised that he wouldn't be hurt. Why couldn't her Shirou-sama believe her? And who did that girl think she was, snuggling up to _her_ Shirou-sama? It abruptly hit Yume that she had been referring to Emiya as "her Shirou-sama" mentally for the past five minutes, and she blushed heavily.

Miya was watching the pair quietly, noting with interest Joan's actions and the way she held herself. She always ready, while Shirou appeared totally relaxed and unconcerned. A few minutes later, Shirou phone rang again, and Shirou flipped it open after checking the number and wincing.

"Hey there, Ilya-chan, how…" he started, but an angry girl's voice cut him off.

_"ONII-CHAN! What is this I hear from Rin-onee-chan about you being captured by some company that wants to hurt you?!" _she yelled, loud enough that Shirou winced again and pulled the phone away from her ear while Joan flinched at the sound of her voice and looked nervous.

"Hey now, calm down…" Shirou tried to say, but she cut him off again.

_"DON'T tell me to calm down, Shirou-onii-chan! I'm going to be in Japan in twelve hours, and if anything has happened to you I swear to God that I will burn Tokyo to the ground!"_

"Hey, now, Ilya-chan, isn't that a little excessive? I'm fine, it's just a job interview! There is…really no need to come to Japan!" Shirou said, trying and failing to convince the girl on the other end, who merely scoffed loudly.

_"Nice try, onii-chan! I already have the Einzbern jet getting fueled up and ready for the flight! I'm coming and you can't stop me! This MBI company or whatever had better not try to get in my way!" W_ith that final declaration, the girl hung up. Shirou could only sigh deeply before putting his phone back in his pocket.

"She sounded kind of scary and protective, Shirou-sama. Is that you're little sister?" Yume asked nervously, having heard everything Ilya had said.

"Adoptive half sister, and yes, she is very scary and very protective of me. We never met until about a year ago, since she had been taken to live with her mother's family in Germany, and then I saved her life when she came to visit Japan to find me. After that, well, let's just say she didn't take having to return to the von Einzbern estates to hire a new staff very well at all," Shirou replied with a grimace, though his eyes held a great deal of affection when he talked about his sister.

The ride continued in silence until the group finally arrived at the MBI corporate headquarters and exited the limo. Shirou and Joan grabbed their meager luggage and followed Miya and Yume into the building's large lobby, which was actually quite magnificent, although neither cared much for the current sights. Taking an elevator up to the 69th floor, the group of four made their way to a small waiting room outside of a large office. The somewhat overly ornate plaque on the door read: **Takami Sahashi. Director of Adjustment and Medical Division.**

"Please wait here," Miya said firmly, before knocking and entering the room, leaving Yume to keep an eye on Shirou and Joan, though she mostly kept her eyes on Shirou.

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"Ah, Miya-onee-chan, you're back," Karasuba, the #04 Sekirei, said softly as Miya entered Takami's office. Miya nodded somewhat tightly to her fellow sword-wielding Sekirei. Miya was never sure just how to act with Karasuba. Her sister had been adjusted by MBI to see if they could create a warrior that would kill whomever they told her too. They had succeeded all little too well. Now, only an Ashikabi with a kind and peaceful nature could help her return to the fun-loving child Miya remembered, as opposed to the constantly depressed young woman that had to battle with her now constant bloodlust every moment of every day.

"Yes, Karasuba-chan, I am. I take it Takami-sensei is feeling paranoid, if she has both of us and Yume-chan here for security purposes?" Miya replied, and Karasuba snorted in annoyance.

"Yes, and she wanted to try some new drug to undo what they did to me. To hell with them, I say! If they hadn't done it in the first place, it wouldn't be an issue now!" she growled angrily, hand clenched on the hilt of her _nodachi_, and Miya nodded while placing a calming hand on top of hers. The grey eyed woman sighed gustily and relaxed her grip, letting her hand fall limply to her side. She then rested her head on her big sister's shoulder. "I just want to be normal, onee-chan. Is that too much to ask? To not want to spill blood every moment of every day?"

"Oh, my sister, no it is not. Soon, soon you will find your Ashikabi, and being winged by him will purify you from the horrible things that MBI has done to you, I am sure of it," Miya said soothingly, cupping the back of Karasuba's neck and kissing her brow softly, fondly. She grinned abruptly, something she only ever did with Matsu, Kazehana, Yume, Karasuba, and Homura. "Who knows, maybe Director Takami's son will appear dramatically and sweep you off of your feet!"

Before Karasuba could do anything other than give a single snicker of amusement, Takami entered the room with Joan, Shirou, Mutsu, and Yume in tow. Kazehana was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't surprise Miya. Ever since she had confessed to Minaka-teme and been refused rather cruelly, she had taken to drinking _sake_ constantly in an attempt to drown her sorrows. Yume and Karasuba exchanged their own, private version of a hug and a smile, which consisted of a strange hand gesture, as they spotted their closest sister. Miya was glad Karasuba had Yume, who would try and ease her mental anguish in whatever ways she could.

"Please be seated," Takami said tersely, walking around her large desk to sit in a rather comfortable looking chair. Shirou and Joan exchanged a glance before sitting in unison. Takami steepled her hands before her and stared at them. Joan met her cold stare with one of her own, while Shirou gazed back with a calm and relaxed air that bordered on indifference. Finally, she snorted and spoke again. "I suppose you know why you are here?"

"Supposedly, for a job interview, but we all know that was a lure so why don't we cut to the chase?" Shirou replied blandly, surprising everyone but Joan, Yume and Miya with his direct (some might even say blunt) approach to the subject. He flapped a hand dismissively at their expressions. "Oh, come now, don't appear so shocked. Really, if you are trying to lay a trap for someone, make it a little more…well, make it an actual trap."

"You knew that we were intending to trick you and yet you came anyway?" Takami asked, raising her eyebrows, and Shirou shrugged in apparent unconcern.

"I believe in meeting things head on, despite the arguments of my family," Shirou replied, giving a slight nod towards Joan, which resulted in everyone looking at her for a moment. Everyone, that is, save Karasuba, whose eyes were glued to Shirou with a look of surprise and, dare we say it, something akin to awe on her face even as a blush stained her cheeks. Miya, ever observant, noticed this and sighed loudly inside. This is the second member of the Discipline Squad that reacted to this boy! She only hoped that this "interview" revealed Shirou to be a good man, because Karasuba needed something to steady her and keep her mind clear of the insanity MBI was driving her headlong into. "Most of them think I should have shown up with all of them and demanded answers in a rather threatening fashion, but I decided against it."

"Well then, I suppose that I will be equally blunt," Takami replied calmly, before storming to her feet and slamming both hands on her desk while roaring loud enough to shake the buildings foundations. "JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"

"Shirou Emiya, adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya, adoptive half brother to Illyasviel von Einzbern. Captain of my school archery club," Shirou replied calmly, although his expression had gotten annoyed. "What business of it is yours whom I am?"

"What interests me, and makes it my business, is the results of the blood test that you took before leaving on this little romantic trip of yours to France. We got some very interesting results from your supposed blood. Tell me, what did you hope to gain from murdering my son and using his blood for the test? Trying to get Sekirei, or MBI secrets?" Takami shot back, her voice only slightly warmer than vacuum.

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Shirou stared at the grey haired woman in shock. Did he hear her correctly? Had she just accused him of what he thought she had? He knew she must have, as her wording left little room for misinterpretation, but such an accusation was insane.

"How _dare_ you accuse my Master of committing such villainous needs! I shall have your blood for satisfaction on his behalf!" Joan shrieked in anger, getting to her feet as she reached out with her prana to summon her sword. All the Sekirei immediately tensed, hands going for weapons hilts or coming up to a half-fighting stance.

"Joan, stop now!" Shirou's voice cut through the air like a whip, and she halted immediately, trusting him enough to obey…for now. "Joan, killing them will gain us nothing and will bring the Clock Tower down on all our heads. Stand down for now. If need be, we will deal with them at the proper time."

"Tch!" Joan grumbled, releasing her prana and sitting back down, while Shirou placed a soothing hand on her arm. "By your will, Master. But if they try anything, I _will _kill them."

"I understand," Shirou nodded in calm acceptance. Inwardly, he was not pleased about the declaration, but she would never risk his safety by being merciful, while the Clock Tower would kill everyone in this tower, and many more besides, to ensure the Magus were never discovered. He returned his attention to Takami, who looked shocked. "You are fortunate that I stepped in. Joan would have happily killed you all for insulting me and threatening me. She cares for me a great deal, you see. I'm not worthy of such love and devotion, but I receive it all the same. Why don't you explain yourself, since I have no idea what you're talking about."

So Takami explained. She explained that her son, Minato, had gone missing eleven years before in Fuyuki city, visiting Takami's parents for the week. He had vanished during a fire, and no matter how much she searched, she had not found any evidence of him until the blood test Shirou had been required to take as a part of a foreign travel medical examination before leaving for France. When Shirou had, naturally, inquired why his previous blood tests hadn't garnered her attention, she explained that MBI had not yet had enough influence to have their systems tied into enough public systems for them to receive the report. She then had Mutsu take a bit of blood from Shirou and take it to the labs for testing.

"So, basically, you're saying that you are accusing me of being raised as some sort of decade-long plot to steal your son's identity for an act of corporate espionage?" Shirou condensed everything into a single sentence, and Takami nodded in agreement. Shirou was silent for a moment, before getting to his feet. "I do not care about you, nor this company. I have a family to get back to, and a little sister to call before she goes on a rampage."

"You're not going anywhere, so sit back down before I have someone make you!" Takami growled, and Shirou simply eyed her. "The blood test results will be back with Mutsu before long. If they come back positive, I'll beg your forgiveness. If they come back negative…well, I hope for your sake that they do not. Karasuba, return him to his seat, please."

The light-greyish brown haired woman seemed conflicted as she slowly placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. Before Karasuba could do anything, Yume suddenly darted in front of her and, before anyone could stop her, grabbed Shirou by his shirt lapels and pulled him into a heated kiss.

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Shirou didn't even have time to react as Yume grabbed him and crashed her mouth down onto his. His shock overrode his mind for a long moment, before a warm feeling seemed to fill his soul, and he closed his eyes while pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss. It felt _right _to have her in his arms.

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Miya sighed internally at the antics of her XO, although she did smirk at the expression on Takami-sensei's face. It was, as the humans would say, priceless. This would, however, cause complications for an already tense situation, because now Yume would be very protective of her Ashikabi. With Joan and Shirou as unknown elements and one of the more powerful Sekirei now on their "side", this could get very ugly very quickly. She began to think of ways to cool the situation down without anyone getting hurt.

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Karasuba's eyes widened at Yu-chan's move, before smiling a little tightly. So, her Yu-chan was reacting to this man too? Good, that in and of itself proved that he was a good man, just the kind of man Miya and MBI assured her could help her keep control of her own mind. Her smile turned into a smirk. It helped that he was cute, and apparently strong in his own right.

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Mutsu outwardly looked just as bored and bland as ever, but internally he was licking his lips at the looks of the boy Shirou. This boy looked like he might be fun prey. The fact that he had Yume and others protecting him would make the hunt all the better.

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Takami was in a state of shock. One of her best enforces, the XO of the Discipline Squad, was exchanging DNA with the boy who had possible been complicit in her son's murder! What was she playing at?

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Joan was torn between anger, happiness, and confusion as Yume kissed her Master. She was glad at least one person here, seemed to like her Master, but she had enough competition for his time as it was, and she would be damned if another girl would keep him from taking her virginity! She had waited long enough as it was! And what the _hell_ were those Grail-Be-Damned _glowing things_ coming out of her shoulders?!

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Yume pulled back from Shirou, a thing thread of saliva connecting their mouths for a moment before it broke, and Shirou opened his eyes to see her before him, strange ruby light shining behind her before fading away.

"My beloved Ashikabi, led us dream of a world without darkness together," she whispered happily, staring deep into his half-lidded eyes. "Forever and always."

"Yume…," he whispered huskily, the sound of her name said in such a way sending involuntary shivers of pleasure down her spine. His eyes clearing abruptly, his eyes clouding with fury, backing away from her with fists clenched at his sides. "What the hell? Did you just drug me with something? Trying to mess with me, huh? What do you think you're doing?"

Yume's heart broke a little with each word. Her beloved thought that she was using him, tricking him for MBI's behalf! Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked down, stepping back to Karasuba's side and half-hiding behind her.

"You misunderstand. Yume-chan was not trying to trick you," Takami said, shaking her head and waving Yume out of her hiding spot. "Yume is what is called a 'Sekirei', and what that means is…"

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While Takami and Yume together explained everything about Sekirei and the S-plan to Shirou and Joan, Mutsu was down in the labs waiting for the blood test results to be printed. After the head of the lab passed him the sheaf of papers, he left and meandered towards the elevators, whistling all the way. Entering and hitting the button for the right floor, he flipped through the papers and let out a low whistle, eyes narrowing slightly. The boy wouldn't be happy about this, no indeed.

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"So you're telling me that you enslaved a sentient race literally from _the womb_ just because you found their crashed ship and thought it would be fun to mess with their genetics like they were some Kami-damned gerbils?" Shirou asked in a tone of deadly softness, and Takami winced at his harsh words. Shirou had not been pleased by her explanations thus far, and been even less pleased when Mutsu had passed a sheaf of papers to Takami, who had read them and passed them to Shirou via Yume. At the conclusive evidence that Takami and Hirato were his parents, he had become even colder and harsher in his interactions with the grey-haired Director.

"No! Of course not!" she replied immediately, and he glared at her coldly. She sighed and nodded slowly. "Yes, that is exactly what we did."

"As I thought," Shrou snorted in contempt, and Miya had to hide a smile at how similar this boy was to Takehito, one of the few humans she had actually liked or would have been proud to call friend.

"Most human men would be thrilled at the idea of a harem of ready and willing super-human and gorgeous girls at his beck and call, but you seem to hate the idea. Why?" she asked after a moment, and he turned to look at her.

"Because I have seen what men do with too much power to those both under their protection, and those who are not. I have seen the abuses their charges have suffered. Also, I have a loving family already. While Yume seems nice enough, I would have been able to survive just as well without ever getting involved. Now that I know about this plan, though…"

"Master, _please _tell me that you're not seriously considering getting involved! You promised us, Master!" Joan cried out, interrupting him. The blatant distress in her tone surprised everyone but Shirou, as the rest had only heard her speak with anger or affection, as the target dictated.

"Joan, we have to. You know as well as I that we can't let this go," Shirou said gently, and she shook her head with a grimace, trying to deny the truth in his statement. "You feel the same way I do, I can feel it."

"So let us handle this! Altria, Med-Rider, and I can handle this within a few hours. They get back on their ship, and go! Everyone is happy!" Joan protested, but Shirou merely smiled softly at her.

"No, Joan. We will do exactly what we did in the War. You remember our stories, or course?" he asked. Joan nodded in acceptance, and he pulled her into a one armed hug.

"Everything will be fine, but we must move quickly to prepare. Takami, I will participate and keep this farce a secret, but don't expect me to play along otherwise. Yume, do you want to come with us?" Shirou began to talk quickly and with purpose. At the brunette's nod, he turned towards the door, but Takami's voice halted him once again.

"Minato-kun, would you like to come visit sometime? Your sister will be overjoyed that you're alive, and I would like to get to know my son." Takami said, hopeful that she could built a relationship with her long-lost child despite their rather rocky re-introduction. Shirou glanced over his shoulder with a cold look.

"Anyone that would enslave a sentient species willingly and experiment on them is no mother of mine. Get your morals back, then we can talk about where to go from there," he said frostily, and swept from the room with Yume and Joan following closely behind. Karasuba looked after them with a look of abject longing.

"Go, Kara-chan. He is the Ashikabi you've been waiting for, the one you need to find yourself again. Hurry, go with him," Miya told her younger sister softly, and Karasuba looked at her for a long moment before nodding and dashing from the room. Miya gestured for Mutsu to leave as well, before looking at Takami. "Your arrogance and stubbornness has already led to your son disowning you, at least for now. I would change, before you lost your daughter and all hope for redemption."

With that, Sekirei #00/01 swept from the room, shutting the door behind her. She would later swear that she had heard the thump of a body falling into a leather chair, along with sobbing, just before the door clicked shut.

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"Hey, Rin, it's me," Shirou said into his phone, and he heard her breathe a sigh of relief.

_"Thank Kami! Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker!" _There was a click, and Shirou winced as four voices at once demanded to know his health.

"I'm fine, but the situation has changed. I can't talk about it over the phone, but I need you to close up the estate and get to Tokyo as fast as you can," he said, and there was dead silence on the other end.

_"It's not another War, is it Shirou?" _Altria asked, concerned.

"No, not that bad, but it is something that I have to do. I will explain when you get here," Shirou replied, and there was a chorus of relieved sighs from his lovers.

_"Okay, I will have Sakura and Rider leave first thing in the morning. Altria and I will make sure everything here is under control and join you," _Rin said after a moment, and there was a chorus of agreement.

"Alright, I love you all. See you soon," Shirou said before hanging up. Before he could dial Ilya's number, he was interrupted by Yume.

"Shirou-sama?" she asked softly, clearly afraid of angering him, and Shirou winced. He regretted his yelling earlier.

"Yume, it's just Shirou. I'm sorry I yelled earlier, but I was confused and a little scared. Please, forgive me. I promise it won't happen again." He bowed low in her direction, only for her to tug him up and kiss him again, her wings flaring and fading again at the contact.

"It's okay, Shirou-sama. Thank you for your concern." She smiled happily at him, before gesturing to the grayish-brown haired woman Shirou had seen in the office. "This is Karasuba, Sekirei #4, and she is reacting to you. Would you be willing to wing her as well?"

"Are you truly reacting, Karasuba?" Shirou asked, looking deep into her eyes. He was worried by the…brokenness that he saw there, and she nodded her head in reply.

"Yes, Shirou-sama. MBI did some…experiments on me, and now I am filled with a bloodlust I must fight every moment of every day. They told me that an Ashikabi with a truly kind and good-hearted nature could heal me of this affliction on my soul and mind over time. I guess my body knows that you're the Ashikabi I need," she replied with a faint blush.

"Yume?" Shirou asked quietly, and the brunette nodded, confirming Karasuba's words. Growling a little in anger, Shirou palmed his face. "Damn MBI! Come here, Karasuba."

Karasuba stepped towards him and found herself wrapped in his arms, his face inches from hers. Instinctively, her eyes closed and she leaned upwards to press her mouth to his. The moment their mouths met, she felt something inside herself shatter into pieces, and all of her repressed emotions: joy, kindness, love…everything positive, came rushing back at once. She moaned with pleasure and deepened the kiss, sending her tongue dancing along her Ashikabi's lower lip even as her steel-grey wings danced behind her. After perhaps another minute, she finally pulled back and snuggled into his chest blissfully.

"It's gone, Master. The craving for blood, the feelings of constant sorrow and pain. It's all gone! You freed me, Master," she mumbled happily, before looking up at him and smiling. "Let's end the sorrows of this world together, my beloved Ashikabi. Now and forever."

"I'm glad, and don't worry. I hope to do just that, someday," he murmured, before glancing at Yume, who was smiling happily at her friend's good fortune and at her Ashikabi's kindness. "Come, Yume, I will need you to help us find a decent hotel we can stay in until we can acquire housing in this area."

"Yes, Shirou-sama," the brunette chirped as she grabbed Joan's hand and tugged her towards the doors. Shirou followed with Karasuba wrapped around his arm, her head on his shoulder, still with that peacefully blissful look.

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Meanwhile, at the Emiya household (now much larger due to…various things) a heated argument was going on in the living room.

"Why can't I go now? Onee-chan, Shirou needs us!" Sakura was protesting to her brown-haired sister Rin, who was shaking her head firmly.

"No! You are going tomorrow and that's final! I don't want you out on the road this late at night! Never mind trying to find him and get lodgings!" Rin said firmly, and Sakura opened her mouth to protest. At the moment, however, the TV flashed to life of its own accord, the screen showing a man with grey-white hair dressed in the most idiotic looking white ensemble any of them had ever seen.

"Congratulations, Shirou Emiya! You have winged your first two Sekirei, and may participate in my little war game! I hope that you will enjoy everything that number four, Karasuba, and number eight, Yume, have to offer! And believe me, my boy, they have much to offer!" The man vanished to show a pair of pictures, side by side, with Shirou engaged in a heated lip lock with two very, very different beautiful women. Neither of them were Joan, and both had these strange energy flares emerging from their shoulders.

"SHIROUUUUUUUUU!" Four voices roared as four veins popped out of four foreheads, and many a human and animal cowered in terror as a massive wave of killing intent burst forth from the Emiya household and rampaged towards Tokyo.

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In Tokyo, Shirou and his three female companions shivered and hands twitched for weapons as a massive wave of killing intent swept down on them.

"W-what was that, Master?" Joan asked, eyes wide as she scanned the area fearfully.

"I don't know, but it reminded me of the others for some reason…" Shirou replied, also looking around with wide eyes.

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Later that night in their small hotel room, the foursome was curled up on the same bed, Shirou in the middle with a girl on each side and one on top of him. Had they been awake and listening, they would have heard the news (which they had left on) report a strange phenomena in the area between Fuyuki and Tokyo. Many citizens had spoken of a terrifying chill, and many animals had exhibited odd behavior, until the feeling of death had passed.

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A/N: That's the best I could do, when it comes to recreating the first chapter. Please, remember ot read and review if you have any questions.

Yes, Mutsu is a closet psychopath. Get over it.


	2. Sakura and Rider

I want to apologize to all of you for my rant before. It was immature and stupid, but I had alot going on(my mom was in the hospital again) and some of those reviews were ruder, cruder, and more disgusting than the stuff I see on TV these days, though not by much. Again I apologize for letting my emotions get the best of me. I will try to keep it from happening again.

WARNING: Henceforth Rider will be addressed as Keto when in public or around those not in the know, because Keto was the mother of Medusa, and is far less strange sounding a name in the modern world than Medusa. No one in the 21st century would name their kid "Rider" or "Medusa".

NOTE: This chapter and the next are basically set-up chapters, where the Fate universe people all meet in Tokyo. In two chapters, things will really get going.

Once again, I apologize and here is the next chapter!

MANY THANKS TO MY BETA, TENCHISOLUTIONSFORALL

**I am adding this note before I post. Yesterday, not even an hour from my home, bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I had several friends in that crowd, all of whom are safe, thank God. However, I ask that you, oh my people, pray for the victims (even those not physically injured, but mentally scarred), their families, and the nation as a whole. God knows we need it.**

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On the Wings of Freedom

Chapter Two

Sakura and Rider

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_"You have been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft, and are hereby condemned to die by burning at the stake, so that your soul might be purified through the flames. What say you, Jeanne D'Arc?" a man dressed in the gold-trimmed white robes of a mid-ranked priest said solemnly, and the dark-haired woman, bound hand and foot in chains, shook her head sadly._

_"It seems as though you have truly strayed from God's path, Your Grace. I have served France and God all my life, as He has called me too. If you are to kill me for doing so, then so be it. I will go before Our Father and His angels with courage and a glad heart," she replied steadily, eyes steady and unyielding. "Mark my words, however: this will not end well for you. Whether in this life or the next, you will answer for all that you have done, the sins that you've committed."_

_"Take the witch away and prepare her for her death!" the priest snapped angrily._

**Time Skip Because I Can't Write A Scene Of Her Being Burned Alive.**

_"Father! Hasn't she done enough? Surely we can allow her to rest in peace!" Jeanne heard a male voice that, despite sounding youthful, carried an undercurrent of great power and wisdom._

_"We could, but you have seen the possibilities as much as I have. You know what she could accomplish when the time comes. Think, my Son, would she prefer to continue to serve Us and the World, or to remain here?" A much deeper voice replied, one that seemed to be all around her and within her, the personification of wisdom, power, and grace._

_"She would want to return to help others," the younger answered with what Jeanne could imagine was a reluctant nod. "I just wish she could have some peace. Six hundred years of the Throne of Heroes will not be pleasant for her."_

_"Yes, but she would gladly suffer it for the future that We have seen. If not for her, the boy would never find his family, and the Sekirei would never be free. Besides, no artifact of her remains. She will not be summoned until that time, so will not be forced to serve a cruel Master."_

_"I still don't understand why We must suffer the existence of the Throne, but let Your will be done, Father."_

_Jeanne felt herself drift away from the pair, almost as if the entire world was spinning beneath her. Moments later, she found herself lying in cool, bedewed grass. Sitting up, she looked around to find herself in an empty field that stretched onwards to the horizon. Behind her stood a small cottage and a copse of trees, much like the one at her childhood home. Getting to her feet, she placed a hand on the hilt of her sword, Liberté, before heading towards the cabin. She hadn't an idea where she was, and she was quite sure that she had died, but old habits die very hard, it seems. Opening the door carefully, she looked in to see that it was a perfect copy of her old home, and smiled happily at the memories that flooded in to her. Moving over to an armchair by the fireplace, she drew Liberté and began to polish its deadly blade. Dead she may be, but by the Father she wasn't going to neglect her precious sword._

_It was six hundred years before she was freed from the Throne's grasp. Six hundred years of waiting and hoping that everything she had done in her life, all the sacrifices she had made had not been for naught. Six hundred years of being alone, craving companionship, but knowing there would be none for a long time. Six hundred years of praying each night that she might wake up the next morning and find it to be the day of her freedom._

_Then the day came. The "Grail" whispered to her, telling her that she was free at last, and she found herself waking in the arms of the most beautiful man she had ever seen, though he did not know she had awakened. Soft golden eyes partially hidden by crimson bangs peered at her with concern as she lay warm and safe in his arms. Smiling to herself, she closed her barely-open eyes and fell asleep once more. When she next awoke, it was to the sight of the young man and three young women sitting around her, all watching her carefully. The thinly veiled hostility in their eyes and the way they glanced at the young man with concern told her that if these women thought she was a threat to him, she would be in pieces within seconds. Not that she would ever hurt him._

_No, she would stay with him, serve him, and perhaps...perhaps she would finally find love after all this time._

_"My name...is Joan of Arc." she whispered finally, the modernized name rolling off of her tongue with ease, surprising herself as she had never heard it before._

Shirou Emiya's eyes flew open, and only the presence of three warm female bodies pressed up against him stopped him from shooting upright in bed violently. Looking to his right side, he reassured himself that Joan was there and in perfect health. That dream had been absolutely brutal, and he hated that she had experienced it firsthand. He smiled affectionately at her sleeping form, raven hair tussled and messy from sleep, her face peaceful with a small smile as she held his arm against her body with a gentle but firm grip. Leaning down, he laid a gentle kiss on her forehead before carefully extracting his arm and sliding from bed, glancing over at the two Sekirei. He had...enjoyed having them beside himself last night, but at the same time he wondered what the hell he was supposed to do now. He already had five girlfriends/lovers, now there were two more out of an entire race of gorgeous woman that may or may not want to be his lovers as well? He ran a hand through his hair in aggravation, pacing his way into the small kitchen/dining room just off of the bedroom and pondered the issue, brow furrowed in a combination of frustration and deep thought.

While most men, especially men his age, would do literally anything to be in his position (powerful, surrounded by hot girls, and now, thanks to dating Rin and what with Illya being the only surviving Einsbern, and "adopting" him into the family, as well as his own rather modest savings and inheritance, he was rather wealthy too) but Shirou had never wanted any of it. In fact, all he had ever wanted was to protect everyone he could and live an otherwise normal life. He could have been happily married to any one of his girlfriends (well, maybe not Rider. The woman had only put up with him at first because of Sakura's love for him. She likely would have killed him at first without that buffer), but instead Fate, God, and the maybe even Gaia were throwing him into yet another fight. A much better cause, to be sure, as he had already seen MBI and their obvious lack of morals, including (he shied away from the words, but pressed on) his _mother_. Granted, she had seemed regretful and hurt at his anger, so perhaps she wasn't _too _bad. But how could he deal with this situation without massive damage and injury, maybe even deaths? Sekirei seemed like very powerful beings. Not as powerful as his Servant lovers of course, but still, nothing short of a powerful magus or a Servant could match them. What was interesting was the difference in power. He assumed that their number dictated their power level, their rank, and that seemed supported by the difference between Karasuba's aura and that of Yume (though he suspected Yume was hiding much of her strength for some reason). However, he deeply hoped that he never had to face the violet haired goddess that was Miya, number 00/01 and Head of the Discipline Squad. Her power was overwhelming, awe-inspiring, and he could sense the tight reins she kept on it. So how could he end this conflict, hopefully before it began, without any injuries, deaths, or widespread destruction like that cause by the Grail Wars? To be able to quickly defeat the Sekirei he would need to unleash his family's full strength, but to do that would bring the Clock Tower down on his head, something he would prefer to avoid. What to do...

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_Flames. An endless sea of flames, smoke, and death, surrounding him, embracing him. He walked alone, his only company the stench of burning flesh and the screams of agony as those who had not escaped were reduced to naught but charred bone and ash. Dull golden eyes peered out from behind dirt and soot-encrusted scarlet bangs as he wandered aimlessly, the flames never touching him, the collapsing buildings never crushing him, the clouds of ash and smoke never choking him. On and on he shuffled, never noticing nor caring that he never came any closer to escaping the flames than when he had first began. Finally, after an eon it seemed, a man appeared from the flames and knelt before him, his black hair as dark as the smoke in the sky and his onyx eyes. Kneeling before him, the man stretched out one hand with a kind smile. The hand brushed against his neck and he collapsed bonelessly before the man rolled him over and implanted a magnificent blue and gold sheath into his body with a flash of magic. Immediately, a light green haze seemed to enshroud his body, his wounds beginning to heal slowly, and the man gathered him gently into his arms and walked away through the flames._

_He awoke in a hospital, no knowledge of who or where he was, to see the same man sitting at the end of his bed, still smiling that warm, eye-crinkling smile._

_ "My name is Kiritsugu Emiya, and I am a Magus, a man who uses magic to help the people of the world. Tell me boy, would you like to come live with me? Learn to save people better than I ever could?" the man asked kindly, and the boy cocked his head to the side before nodding slowly, eyes a little less empty. "Good. Then I will name you Shirou. Shirou Emiya. Come, let's go."_

_The man stood and offered his hand. Slowly, tentatively, the newly named Shirou reached out to take it, allowing the man to lead him from the hospital to a car, which they took to the far side of city, and to a large-and old- mansion._

_So the boy grew into a young man, but a young man that was broken on the inside. He cared little for himself and everything for those around him. It was for this reason that he was drawn into the Holy Grail War, and found himself facing the most powerful of all heroes. The Golden King, the First Hero. The one who sought to take his beloved from him._

_**My Body is of Swords**_

_His words echoed powerfully in the courtyard, his swords flashing to parry another attack from the arrogant man in his golden armor._

_**My Blood is of Iron, and my Heart is of Glass**_

_The air thrummed with power as he began gathering more and more latent magical energy to himself to fuel his requiem._

_**I have survived countless battles**_

_Another useless salvo of the Gate parried or ignored, and the golden King's anger grew as he too began gathering his own power for one final confrontation. One last salvo would end it all._

_**Not once retreating**_

_**Not once achieving victory**_

_**I, the bearer, lie alone**_

_Gateways to another dimension open behind each combatant, weapons of varying shapes, sizes, and uses protruding like harpoons from a harpoon gun._

_**Forging iron into a hill of swords**_

_More and more portals appear, until it seems there is no space between them. A wall of weapons, ready to rend and tear the flesh of their enemy, hang poised in the air._

_**Thus, my life has no meaning**_

_**All that I am...is Unlimited Blade Works!**_

_The world vanished in a hail of weapons, the air filled with the sound of weapons clashing and clattering to the ground. The man in gold smirked, sure of his victory, but his eyes widened as his Gate was ever so slowly overpowered. The young man's ability to summon weapons was far better than his own. Faster and faster they came, an endless cloud against the moonlight, and he was forced to draw a weapon to physically defend himself, a fact that drew for his great ire. In his arrogance, however, he failed to notice the world warping around him. Now he stood not in an abandoned temple's stone courtyard, but upon an endless, barren wasteland. A hill covered with swords, upon which he battled the young man hand to hand. Slowly but surely, the young man began to overpower him as their weapons clashed again and again in a deadly dance that could leave either one the victor in an instant._

_And then, a dancer faltered in his pace._

_The golden king staggers back three steps and falls to his knees, holding the bloody stump where his left arm used to be as he shrieked in pain and hatred. The young man summoned one final sword to his hand, and the golden king's rage knew no bounds as he saw it._

_Excalibur. The sword of the woman he had claimed as his own, answering the call of this Faker, this peasant. She had chosen him, given herself to him, body and soul! He would not allow it! He would-!_

_The young man brought the sword flashing down in a deadly arc with a shout of the sword's name, and the golden king's last sight was of a great blue-white wall coming towards him before he was reduced to ashes in the wind, his essence returning to the Throne. The young man allowed his world to fade, and he took a moment to gaze at the spot where his enemy perished before racing to help his lovers._

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Joan shot awake, sitting bolt upright in the bed, instinctively searching for her Master and love. Her throat began to close in panic as she saw that he was gone, the raw emotions evoked by his memories overwhelming her. Stretching out desperately with her mind, she was on her feet and rushing across the room in an instant as she zeroed in on him. Pulling open the door to the small dining room/kitchenette, Joan tackled him out of his chair, holding him tightly to her as she cried into his shirt.

Shirou, of course, had no idea what in the name of all that was holy was going on here. All he knew was that someone he loved was crying on him, and he just couldn't have that. Sitting up and leaning himself against a wall, he pulled her onto her knees before him and rubbed her back soothingly, trying to cheer her up from...whatever had her down.

"Hey, come on, what's wrong?" he asked her softly after a few minutes, and she mumbled something unintelligible into his chest. Frowning, as he had only caught the words "fire" and "die", he assumed that she had dreamed the same dream he had. Her death, which was one of the most horrid things he had ever seen. Trying to comfort her, he continued. "Love, I know dreaming of your murder can't have been easy, but I'm here for you. Always."

"I dreamed about you, Master. About the...the fire, and the War. Gilgamesh..." Joan murmured into his shirt, barely audible. Shirou's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected that at all, but in hindsight he wondered if he should have. He had, after all, dreamed of the significant moments of her past. Why would she not do the same of his? "His power...so strong. How did you beat him?"

"Because I had to," he replied honestly, rubbing her back soothingly. "He had to be defeated for the Grail to be destroyed. The Grail had to be destroyed to save untold numbers of lives. That's all there was to it." He paused and thought for a long moment before adding, "Although, his arrogance and almost lazy attitude during the fight made all the difference in the world. Had he summoned Ea in time, the end result would have been very, very different."

"How did you wield Excalibur, Master? Even if you could Trace it without dying, it would have been a much weaker version," Joan asked after a few more minutes of silence, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms.

"Altria gave herself to me," Shirou said, blushing at his words, though he continued despite his embarrassment. Joan blushed as well, though a surge of envy swept through her. She didn't hold it against her idol, really, but she still didn't have any idea why her Master had not yet taken her the way she prayed for him too, and knowing that the others had lain with him made it worse. "Both physically and emotionally. I'm not sure exactly what she did, but I can summon Excalibur to me at any time, though doing so means that she cannot use it. Plus, remember when we all went to the Clock Tower together, when I was called to perform a mission as the Second Magus Killer?"

"Yes Master, that was not long after we met," Joan nodded, wondering where he was going with this. It didn't seem all that relevant to her, but her Master was not one to say things without a good reason. "When Lady Barthomeloi gave you the ultimatum to perform select missions for the Clock Tower or die."

"Yes..." Shirou acknowledged dryly, remembering that particular day. It had been...interesting to say the least. Shaking his head, he continued. "When I fought those Dead Apostles to "prove" myself to her, I had a great deal more power than I did during the war, even more than when Rin and I," here he coughed and blushed, and Joan again felt a surge of envy. "Um, anyway, when I was able to draw on her power. As it turns out, the Grail gifted me with full, and much more powerful than normal, mage circuits."

"You never told us that Master!" Joan said in surprise, pulling back and looking at him with wide eyes. Her Master had never done anything to display that he no longer suffered from a limited and partial mage circuit network. "Why do you still use only Reinforcement and Projection then, Master?"

"Because I have perfected the use of those two branches. In all other areas of magecraft, I am still woefully incompetent, until I get some proper training in those areas. Until I do, I'm more likely to blow myself up than accomplish anything. As for not mentioning it, well, it doesn't change much of anything so there was no reason to bring it up."

Joan grumbled a little, making sure that Shirou knew she disagreed with him as she rested her face in the crook of his neck. Shirou, despite his experiences with his other girlfriends, couldn't help but blush at the feeling of her warmth up against him.

"So, what are we going to do about this situation, Master?" she asked softly a few minutes later, and he frowned heavily.

"I really don't know Joan. Sekirei are powerful beings. Not as powerful as you and Altria, but they are still forces to be reckoned with. Plus, from what Takami says, they can be "shut down" remotely at any time from that bastard Minaka's office, so simply attacking MBI head-on would accomplish little," he replied, feeling his temper begin to boil as he thought back over MBI's crimes. The world would be much better off if he could simply use his families full power and... His eyes widened and he moved Joan off of him, ignoring her indignant protests and questions, and shot to his feet. Grabbing the bag that had his laptop in it, he flipped the computer open and powered it up, and started up a special program. Moments later, the distinctly irritated face of the White Queen, Lady Lorelei Barthomeloi, filled the screen.

_"What do you want, Emiya?! I told you, I hate using this infernal contraption and didn't want to hear from it unless I had to! Now, what do you want? Your next mission isn't for three months!" _the beautiful, aristocratic, and haughty brunette Magi demanded, and Shirou began to explain the situation. The Sekirei, Minaka, MBI, everything that he had learned from his "mother" and his Sekirei. Through it all, Barthomeloi listened impassively, only slight changes in her eyes expressing her feelings on the matter.

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Karasuba, Sekirei Number Four, was feeling distinctly uncomfortable, and extremely annoyed.

Why you ask?

Because her precious sister, Yume, Sekirei Number 8, was groping her in her sleep. The brunette was mumbling dirty things under her breath, a heavy blush on her face and a slight trail of drool running out of her mouth as her hand flexed and squeezed on Karasuba's right breast, which had somehow been freed from the confines of her undershirt. Sighing, she rolled her eyes and raised one hand.

THWACK! THUMP!

"MOU~! Why did you hit me so hard, Kara-chan?" Yume cried from her new resting place on the floor next to the bed while clutching the top of her head, where a comical bump was rising. After a moment, she leapt to her feet, glaring at her sister. Leveling a finger, she continued. "You interrupted a really nice dream about Shirou-sama! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm not sorry," was the blunt reply. Yume pouted at her, unsurprised by her sister's answer. The rest, however, was rather shocking. "You were groping me in my sleep, Yume..."

"AH! Oh, I'm very sorry!" The Sekirei of Fate bowed hurriedly in apology, and Karasuba rolled her eyes again.

"Don't worry about it Yu-chan, let's just get dressed and find Shirou-sama. I'm...not feeling very good without him here..." she said with a faint frown as she heard felt a faint tickling sensation in the back of her mind. It was the part of her mind that normally was whispering of blood, death, and pain. Yume looked at her sibling with concern for a moment before nodding and leading the way over to the dining room/kitchenette area of the hotel suite. Hesitating just outside the door, she heard raised voices, one her Ashikabi's and the other that of an unknown woman. She opened the door quietly and slipped into the room with Karasuba. She observed her Ashikabi arguing with a gorgeous and refined-looking brunette woman via laptop.

"Lady Barthomeloi, if you could just...!" Shirou was pleading, but the woman cut him off impatiently.

_**"I said no, Emiya! I understand that you want to handle this situation as quickly and cleanly as possible, but that is not feasible at the present time! You are not authorized to utilize anything more serious than Level Two powers, both for yourself and for your servants! You are to keep me updated DAILY as to the activities of this Hiroto Minaka," **_she growled, before her gaze softened slightly as Shirou's obvious distress._** "I really wish I could allow it Shirou. This man sounds like he needs to be removed in the most brutal of fashions, but the Council will not risk us being exposed, especially not to a new race. We just don't have enough information yet."**_

__"Yes My Lady, I understand. I don't like it, but I can understand. I will keep you updated. Emiya out," Shirou said in a respectful, if clipped, tone. Barthomeloi nodded her head in dismissal and Shirou cut the connection. Sighing, he turned to the door only to freeze as he saw Yume and Karasuba standing there. "Ah, um, good morning ladies. What can I do for you?"

"Who was that woman, Shirou-sama?" Karasuba asked darkly, glaring at the computer as though it had personally offended her.

"My...superior of sorts, I suppose you could say. I'm not permitted to say much more than that right now," he said slowly. Karasuba turned her glare onto him, making him raise his hands defensively. "I want to tell you, I'm just not allowed to. What I can tell you, however, is that two very good friends of mine will be here soon, to help us find permanent lodging. They should be here any minute now, actually."

As if to prove his words prophetic, there was sharp knocking on the door of the hotel room, and Shirou went to answer it. When he opened the door, there stood a pair of young women. One was average height, with light purple eyes and dark violet-blue hair, while the other was a little taller than Shirou with light purple hair, and wearing a pair of very dark, though stylish, sunglasses.

"Sakura, R...Keto, it's good to see you both. You're looking a little pale, Sakura, are you alright?" he said with a broad smile, using the name Medusa had chosen for her alias, and Keto smirked faintly while Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Shirou-kun, I just rode here on the back of a motorcycle driven by this maniac," she said dryly, jabbing her thumb at Keto, who immediately adopted a suitably contrite and apologetic expression. The expression fooled no one. They couldn't see her eyes, of course, but it was easy to imagine that her eyes would be gleaming with mischief if they were visible. "Of course I'm looking pale!"

"I'm hardly a maniac, Sakura," she said with amusement clear in her voice. Sakura, Joan, and Shirou all snorted in disbelief, and Keto shrugged lazily. "It's not my fault that you guys are all over-cautious and paranoid when it comes to travelling."

"I'm fine with traveling, Keto!" Sakura groaned in exasperation. "It's travelling at almost twice the posted speed limit while dodging in and out of hundreds of other vehicles that makes me nervous!"

"Meh, details. Trifle me not with them," Keto said with a dismissive wave and a haughty sniff, and Shirou rolled his eyes with a faint smile.

"Come in, both of you," he said, opening the door wider, allowing the pair into the room at large. Both Karasuba and Yume kept their eyes locked on Keto, sensing that she had a great deal of strength and power hidden behind a veneer of playfulness and flirtatious gestures. In fact, she felt an awful lot like the power Joan had exhibited before, but there was a tint of darkness and...malice?...that was absent from the raven-haired woman. It was not pervasive, but it was enough to warn those who could sense it that mercy was not something she gave out often, nor was she one to forgive and forget easily.

Both Sekirei growled faintly in annoyance as both women looked directly at them before slowly and deliberately kissing Shirou deeply right in front of their disbelieving eyes. The young man was, of course, blushing horribly at the affections, and glanced with worry and concern over at the two fuming Sekirei.

"Shirou-sama, who are your _friends?_" Yume said with a deceptively cheerful smile. Before Shirou could say anything Sakura spoke up, stepping forward with an equally cheerful, and equally fake, smile of her own.

"Shirou-kun is mine and Keto-chan's boyfriend. I presume that you two _ladies_ are these "Sekirei", Yume and Karasuba?" she said with a faux-subtle glare, and both Sekirei glared back at her.

"Yes, and Shirou-sama is _our _Ashikabi. Our destined mate, bonded together with us for as long as he lives, our perfect match," Yume replied in clipped tones, and Sakura's glare deepened as she opened her mouth. Shirou, sensing that the situation could easily get out of hand, touched her gently on the shoulder and spoke up.

"How do you know what they are, Sakura-chan?" he asked curiously, apparently totally ignoring the fact that he had just interrupted the build up of what would have been a cat fight of epic proportion. Which, he reflected to himself, was probably a good thing. Shirou was fairly sure that Tokyo looked better in one piece than as a smoldering pile of rubble, and if the city got destroyed he kind of doubted an apology would cut it with the Clock Tower.

"Well, when your lips _somehow_ became attached to theirs and you "winged" them, a notice was sent to our home in Fuyuki via television, telling us all about this 'Sekirei Plan'," the young woman replied, before posting her hands on her hips and looking at Joan. "Honestly, given that you're a legendary hero, couldn't you have kept him out of trouble?"

"Excuse me?" Joan spluttered indignantly, before catching the gleam of humor in the girl's eyes, causing her mouth to twist into an amused smirk. Adopting a tone of long-suffering, Sakura continued. "Well, you know Master. He just can't seem to keep himself _in_ where he should be and _out _of everything else."

Keto snickered in amusement behind one delicate hand, the Greek woman being the only one to pick up on the sexual frustration behind the comment, while everyone else took it at face value. It seemed her newest sister was still a virgin despite the long trip to France. Ah, well, who was really surprised by that? She and her sisters had basically had to tie the boy down and have their wicked way with him to get him to understand that even though the War was over, they still loved him and wanted him in their beds.

Sakura nodded sagely while Shirou grumbled to himself about "teaming up on him", "it's not his fault", and "when did she get so sarcastic anyway?"

"Oh, stop complaining, Shirou," Keto said finally, shaking her head with a smirk. Growing serious, she shut the door tightly and looked at him. "Why did you get involved, Shirou? This situation has nothing to do with us. We have enough issues of our own already. You especially."

"I know, but I can't ignore this. You know that," Shirou replied steadily, and Keto grimaced in agreement. Her lover was a noble soul, one could argue that he took being noble to the most ludicrous and self-endangering extreme. Her question had been rhetorical for the most part, not that he had known that.

"Fine, just tell us everything we need to know," she sighed with exasperation, and he smiled a small smile before doing so. Sakura and Keto listened with intense concentration while he told them everything that he knew about MBI, Sekirei, and the Sekirei Plan. Both women reacted with shock -and, in Sakura's case, righteous fury- at the knowledge that Takami was trying to insert herself into his life despite her crimes, and apparent lack of desire to find him before.

"Well, I can see why you would want to do something, Shirou, but this is going to be pretty rough. Even more so than the war, I should think," Keto said slowly. Shaking her head, she gave a short, soft laugh. "But, of course you would find your way into something like this. You just can't seem to keep out of trouble."

"It's hardly my fault," Shirou said, sounding slightly miffed. "These things just seem to happen around me!"

He gave an outrageous pout as all four woman in the room started laughing at him, before joining in, glad that they all seemed to be getting along so far. After a few moments, he shook his head, still chuckling.

"Alright, ladies. We need to get ourselves a base of operations here in Tokyo. Time to go house hunting," he said, getting his wallet and the room key before leading them from the room. None of them noticed the trio of shadows that watched from the building's roof, nor several others watching from alleys, doorways, and other nooks and crannies. One by one the shadows vanished, either following Shirou and his entourage, or vanishing into the city.

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I remind you all that if you do not like this story, that you do not need to read it, just don't flame on your way out. This is going to be nothing like In Flight, this is going to have a lot of AU elements, and will ignore/rewrite alot of Fate cannon. Why? Because its fanfiction.


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